Consumers are actively pursuing long-term health in multiple ways

Healthy Aging in 2022

And how can companies introduce sleep foods and beverages to bedtime routines?

Are consumers ready for sleep-support foods and beverages?

Alkemist Labs (Garden Grove, CA) is warning industry about potential incomplete third-party pesticide testing. The lab, which recently became 

 to perform heavy metal and pesticide testing per UPS <561>, discovered that many third-party labs may not be testing for the full panel of 70 reportable compounds covering 121 individual analytes. According to Alkemist, in order to test the entire panel, it conducts four separate assays using three different instruments: one run each of UPLC-MS/MS, APGC-MS/MS, and two runs of GC-MS/MS.

“Ninety eight percent of the compounds tested for UPLC-MS/MS and the APGC-MS/MS; the other 2% requires two additional analytical runs,” explains lab director Anthony Fontana PhD, in a press release. “What we have learned is that a lot of labs skip those, quite possibly because of the time and processing you need to run it. You are changing over the same instrument twice, each time to search for one more analyte, which can take half a day. Skipping these two runs only omits two analytes from an already lengthy report, so they may be easily overlooked.”

Alkemist advises companies to check pesticide testing reports to ensure they include Inorganic bromide and Dithiocarbamates measured and reported as carbon disulfide (CS2). If they are missing, then USP <561> pesticide testing is incomplete. While some Certificates of Analysis are transparent about this omission, others are not. Sometimes, running additional tests to include these two analytes can results in double the cost to manufacturers. Some labs may use the phrase “USP <561> modified” which could mean that newer instrumentation or column technology is being used than described in the USP chapter, but could also mean that not all pesticides are being tested for.

According to Alkemist, depending on how a company has set its specifications, it may be out of compliance with cGMPs if not all pesticides are being tested for. “I understand why some labs may use this practice, which would necessarily make testing more expensive, but it’s misleading,” said Elan Sudberg, CEO of Alkemist Labs.“The industry has to be better than that.”

Articles

Alkemist advises companies to check pesticide testing reports to ensure they include Inorganic bromide and Dithiocarbamates measured and reported as carbon disulfide (CS2).

Alkemist Labs warns manufacturers about potentially incomplete pesticide testing from third-party labs

Alissa Marrapodi is Industry Insights Contributor, Custom Content Editor, MJH Life Sciences.

The National Advertising Division (NAD; New York) of BBB National Programs 

 Dakota Nutrition, Inc. discontinue certain claims regarding its dietary supplements containing elderberry, including its Extra Strength Elderberry 3-in-1 Immune Booster Capsules, Extra Strength Elderberry Gummies, and Immune Defense 7-in-1 Immune Booster Capsules.  The express and implied claims in question were initially challenged by Nature’s Way Brands LLC. NAD recommended that the advertiser discontinue the challenged claims:

“elderberries are very high in antioxidants”

NAD determined that Dakota did not have a reasonable basis for the challenged claims that its Elderberry Capsules, Elderberry Gummies, or Immune Capsules contain elderberry, nor did Dakota submit any support for the claims that elderberries are antioxidants or that they contain certain amounts of antioxidants. The advertiser’s evidence also did not provide a reasonable basis for claims related to the presence of elderberry in these products. Accordingly, NAD recommended that Dakota discontinue the use of the term elderberry in the name of its Elderberry Capsules and Elderberry Gummies.

In its advertiser statement, Dakota stated that it “agrees to comply with NAD’s recommendations,” although it “respectfully disagrees with NAD’s rejection of raw material testing” of botanical ingredients, which it believes “should be sufficient to satisfy NAD standards.” The advertiser further stated that it “supports the self-regulatory process and will abide by NAD recommendations in future advertising.”

The express and implied claims in question were initially challenged by Nature’s Way Brands LLC.

NAD recommends Dakota Nutrition discontinue elderberry content claims

The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA; Silver Spring, MD) and the Natural Product Association (NPA; Washington, D.C.) have cosigned a 

, along with nearly 100 other organizations across the country, urging the Biden administration to work with The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) to reach a new labor agreement without the disruption of port operations. The previous labor agreement for the workers at West Coast ports, including Los Angeles and Long Beach, expired on July 1.

President Biden met with ILWU and PMA in early June, resulting in a statement from the unions stating that they were committed to reaching a deal and would continue cargo operations beyond the current contract’s expiration with no plans to strike. While the negotiating parties are cooperating, the letter’s cosigners, representing a wide range of industries dependent on cargo moving effectively through the key West Coast ports, emphasize the importance of immediately extending the current contract. In the letter, the co-signing organizations ask that the administration ensure that the parties:

Extend the current contract until a final contract is reached;

Commit to remain at the negotiating table and negotiate in good faith; and

Agree to not engage in any kind of activity that leads to further disruption at the ports.

“I greatly appreciate the leadership of the National Retail Federation for initiating the submission of this joint letter,” said AHPA’s president Michael McGuffin, in a press release. “AHPA’s inclusion in this important communication furthers our long-standing commitment to cooperation, collaboration, and consensus with diverse organizations that work together to serve the needs and interests of our membership.”

“Sourcing materials over the last two years has been nothing short of chaotic,” added NPA’s CEO and president Dan Fabricant, PhD. “The supply and labor shortages have only added fuel to the economic fire Americans are feeling every day. It has never been more critical for trade organizations to work together to ensure we prevent further supply chain disruptions. NPA looks forward to working with AHPA and others to find a solution to this industry-wide crisis.”

The previous labor agreement for the workers at West Coast ports, including Los Angeles and Long Beach, expired on July 1.

AHPA and NPA co-sign letter urging Biden administration to reach new labor agreement with West Coast ports

Jennifer Grebow is the editor-in-chief of 

, an award-winning media-content provider in the dietary supplement and natural products market. 

, an MJH Life Sciences brand, provides insights and industry updates critical to manufacturers of dietary supplements, healthy foods, and nutritious beverages. 

 keeps industry abreast of current market trends, research updates, news, and regulatory developments. 

goes beyond the 24-hour news cycle and provides in-depth analysis to help industry players navigate the challenges and changes in the near- and long-term. 

, the largest privately held, independent, full-service medical media company in North America, dedicated to delivering trusted health care news across multiple channels.

The Ladder sports nutrition brand created by LeBron James and Arnold Schwarzenegger is now being sold at The Vitamin Shoppe through an exclusive retail partnership. Previously, Ladder products were only sold on the brand’s website. Ladder sports nutrition products are now sold at 690 The Vitamin Shoppe brick-and-mortar stores as well as on the retailer’s website and at the company’s Super Supplements stores.

The clean-supplements line includes preworkout, whey protein (containing 100% whey protein isolate), plant protein, and hydration products. The products are NSF Certified for Sport.

“We created Ladder to address a need for clean, safe, effective products that we could trust, and that would help maximize our peak performance. To see how it’s grown into a community of athletes of every level, all striving to reach their goals, is pretty special,” said LeBron James, in a press release. “I’m excited that this partnership with The Vitamin Shoppe will make Ladder even more accessible as we continue to innovate the product and expand the Ladder community.”

Sharon Leite, CEO of The Vitamin Shoppe, added, “As the leading destination for lifelong wellness solutions, The Vitamin Shoppe is committed to bringing the most innovative products to our customers. We are thrilled to be the exclusive retail partner to launch Ladder sports nutrition products nationwide, backed by the expertise of two ultimate icons of sports and fitness, LeBron James and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Ladder’s formulas are trusted by elite athletes and are now accessible in our stores to anyone looking for the highest levels of quality, performance, and taste in their sports nutrition supplements.”

Ladder sports nutrition products are now sold at 690 The Vitamin Shoppe brick-and-mortar stores as well as on the retailer’s website.

LeBron James, Arnold Schwarzenegger sports nutrition brand Ladder now sold at The Vitamin Shoppe retail stores

Will Cowling is the marketing manager at 

. For more information about FMCG Gurus’ latest reports, including its COVID-19 survey series, please e-mail 

Health goals have historically tended to be short-term and based on addressing one specific issue, such as weight loss. Over the last couple of years, however, consumers have adopted a broader approach to wellbeing. Indeed, in FMCG Gurus surveys, 52% of consumers said in 2021 that they had adopted a long-term approach to health—a 10% increase compared to two years earlier (42%). Undoubtedly this trend has been influenced by COVID-19 to some extent, with 60% of people saying they have become more conscious about the importance of preventing health problems by leading a healthy lifestyle.

This change in attitude cannot be attributed solely to the pandemic, however. Instead, there has been a seismic shift and recognition among individuals that they want to stay fit and active until as late in life as possible. These consumers are noticing that their diets are not as healthy as they should be and are taking a proactive and preventative approach to wellbeing.

People are now looking to make fundamental lifestyle changes, with 58% surveyed indicating they are more frequently educating themselves about their health. In addition, health goals have become broader and are now seen as lifestyle goals, meaning that even consumers who deem themselves to be in good health are looking to improve their eating and drinking habits and lifestyle traits.

These proactive and preventative consumers say that over the next couple of years, they would like to address a variety of physical and emotional health areas.

Unsurprisingly, immunity is the area that people (68% of survey respondents) would more like to address, reflecting how health goals have evolved and are focused on disease management as people remain mindful of future variants of coronavirus. Other noticeable areas of health that consumers would like to improve are digestive health (53%) and mental wellbeing (48%). More people are recognizing the link between the digestive system and immunity and seeing how gut health relates to an increased prevalence of health problems. Meanwhile, high levels of uncertainty over the last couple of years has resulted in a greater number of people suffering from stress and anxiety, poor sleep health, and an inability to relax—problems that were already widespread prior to the pandemic.

As consumers recognize that many areas of wellbeing are interlinked, it will drive urgency to address these areas over the next couple of years.

To address these areas of wellbeing, 49% of people surveyed said they have made changes to their diet over the last two years, looking to minimize their intake of ingredients deemed to be dietary evils and maximizing their intake of health-boosting nutrients. However, many consumers recognize that diet alone is not enough to maintain long-term health. As such, 61% said they have looked to increase their levels of physical activity (reflecting that they feel they spend too much time being inactive), while 36% have sought to improve their mental wellbeing and 49% are trying to boost their sleep health.

For all of these wellbeing concerns, consumers will seek out better-for-you products with active-ingredient claims that can support their goals. Products with a variety of functional ingredients and benefit claims will appeal from an efficacy, convenience, and value perspective. At the same time, it is crucial that brands provide clinical and science-based evidence on packaging to support claims, as people can be skeptical about the validity of claims made in the health and wellness market in general.

Across the globe, the aging population continues to grow, even in countries previously associated with younger demographics. In addition, consumers continue to be worried about future variants of coronavirus. Finally, they also realize that their current diets and lifestyles may be increasing their risk of long-term health problems such as cancer.

As a result, consumers will continue making fundamental changes to their diets and lifestyles to address a variety of physical and mental health issues, driving demand for products that help facilitate the cause. This is something that will intensify urgency to tackle all areas of health, irrespective of whether people are currently suffering from symptoms, thereby creating new opportunities for innovation within the health and wellness market.

Health and wellness are influencing food, drink, and supplement choices around the globe. In recent years, consumers have placed greater urgency on addressing health problems. While this can be attributed to COVID-19 concerns to some extent, this is actually a long-term trend driven by the desire to maintain a good quality of life.

Healthy Aging in 2022: Consumers are actively pursuing long-term health in multiple ways

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) granted U.S. Patent No. 11,364,255 to Karallief Inc. (Cambridge, MA) for its Karallief Easy Climb, a multi-herbal extract formula for the support of joint discomfort. The patent protects Karallief’s specific composition of herbal ingredients used to develop its nutraceutical ingredient for joint support.

“The issuance of this patent recognizes the innovation of our Easy Climb multi-herbal blend and demonstrates our commitment to developing proprietary ingredients that have proven both safe and effective through rigorous human clinical trials,” Krishna Rajendran, CEO of Karallief, said in a press release.

In a 120-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, published in the 

International Journal of Basic & Clinical Pharmacology

, participants experiencing age-related knee concerns took either Easy Climb, an herbal extract with glucosamine or placebo. At the end of the study, the Easy Climb and herbal extract groups experienced an improvement in four areas: an X-ray analysis of joint space width, a knee flexion test, a 30-second chair stand test, and a subjective questionnaire. The Easy Climb group saw a 71-percent decrease in discomfort and a 25-percent increase in joint space width of the tibiofemoral joint, suggesting Easy Climb aided in regenerating connective tissue in the knee joint.

“Securing a patent for a natural product is difficult because it must be truly innovative in order to differentiate the product from other compositions with plant-based ingredients,” said Rajendran. “At Karallief we focus our clinical research on multi-ingredient blends because our research has shown that when two or more herbal extracts are combined, they work interactively together to provide a stronger, synergistic benefit.”

Rajendran K et al. “Assessment of safety and efficacy of Karallief® Easy ClimbTM, an herbal extract blend for supporting joint health: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial.” 

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) granted U.S. Patent No. 11,364,255 to Karallief Inc. for its Karallief Easy Climb, a multi-herbal extract formula for the support of joint discomfort. 

Karallief Inc. joint-health ingredient is granted US patent

Pharmavite LLC (Columbus, OH) is expanding into the Columbus Region, investing more than $200 million into a 200,000 - 250,000-square-foot facility in New Albany and creating 225 new jobs.The company is investing in the construction of the new facility, machinery, and equipment, with production expected to start by the end of 2024.

“Pharmavite is proud to announce a major expansion into the Columbus Region, which is rapidly emerging as a leading national hub for science, innovation and technology companies,” said Jeff Boutelle, CEO of Pharmavite, in a press release. “As a born and raised Ohioan, I look forward to leading Pharmavite into this new era in which we will develop new reach and capabilities while striving to become an important part of the Columbus and New Albany communities.”

The new facility will primarily produce products for its Nature Made and MegaFood brands.

Pharmavite LLC is expanding into the Columbus Region, investing more than $200 million into a 200,000 - 250,000-square-foot facility in New Albany. 

Pharmavite expands to New Albany 

Kensing, LLC (Kankakee, IL)acquired Vitae Naturals (Talavera de la Reina, Spain), a leading manufacturer of plant sterol esters and non-GMO vitamin E derivatives marketed as Vitasterol and Vitapherole, respectively. 

“We are pleased to bring Vitae Naturals into the Kensing family,” said Serge Rogasik, CEO ofKensing, in a press release. “This acquisition is highly complementary, strengthens our footprint in Europe andenables further expansion in food ingredients. This is an exciting time for both companies, and we look forward to partnering with the Vitae team to accelerate our growth objectives.”

Rafael Cano Mariblanca, general manager of Vitae Naturals, said in a press release: “Our businesses share similar values, and we are delighted to become a part of the Kensing team. Kensing provides a strong platform to build upon our position in our existing markets and expand further into the personal care market. Together, we have a truly diversified footprint with numerous opportunities for growth.”

Kensing, LLC acquired Vitae Naturals, a leading manufacturer of plant sterol esters and non-GMO vitamin E derivatives marketed as Vitasterol and Vitapherole, respectively. 

Kensing acquires plant-sterol manufacturer Vitae Naturals 

For the first time, data collected by market researcher Innova Market Insights (Arnhem, Netherlands) for its Lifestyle & Attitude Survey show that sustainability is now a top global concern among consumers—even surpassing their concerns about population health. Innova says it will share its latest consumer trend insights at the upcoming IFT First Annual Event & Expo in Chicago on July 10-13 at booth #S1175.

“For the first time ever, more consumers surveyed globally for Innova’s Lifestyle & Attitude Survey say health of the planet is their top global concern, rather than health of the population,” said Lu Ann Williams, Innova’s insights director, in a press release.

Even amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers grew more concerned about the health of the environment and its relationship to their own behaviors and purchases. For instance, says Innova, nearly half of consumers are cutting food waste, while 63% say they prefer to eat at a restaurant that actively prevents or reduces food waste.

Sustainability also drives their consumer packaged goods choices, with 20%-25% saying they switched up their product choices for environmental reasons, such as opting for products that are sustainably grown or that come in sustainable packaging.

Manufacturers are listening to these demands and responding in kind. Innova reports that product launches with environmentally friendly claims are growing at three times the rate of overall total food and beverage launches. Specifically, it reports:

“Ethical claims regarding the environment increased their share of total food and beverage launches from 4.4% in 2016-2017 to 6.6% in 2020-2021, for a 17.3% CAGR over the five years ending Q3 2021. Growth is even faster for specific issues. In the five years ending Q3 2021, launches of food and beverages using upcycled ingredients rose at a CAGR of 122%, compared with 59% for products using recycled plastic, 49% for products with water saving claims, 47% for products carrying carbon emissions claims, and 36% for palm oil free products. Europe drives claims regarding palm oil; 88% of all launches with ‘palm oil free’ claims were made in Europe.”

Even the higher cost of sustainable products may not dissuade consumers from purchasing. While nearly 3 in 10 consumers acknowledged that environmentally friendly products can cost more, over half of consumers still say they are willing to pay more for products that address plastic waste (64%), ocean pollution (63%), and food waste (62%).

Finally, says Innova, manufacturers must clearly state their products’ environmental benefits in order to stand out in a crowded market. “In our Innova Trends Survey 2021, 55% of consumers globally say that there are too many environmental labels and they don’t know what to look for,” said Williams. “Furthermore, nearly two-thirds of consumers surveyed globally agree or strongly agree that they prefer one label that captures the complete impact on the environment over multiple labels.”

The market researcher will share its latest consumer trend insights at the upcoming IFT First Annual Event & Expo in Chicago on July 10-13.

Sustainability leads consumers’ purchasing decisions, new Innova Market Research data confirms

The “everbearing” type of strawberry plant has a misleading name because it only produces fruit two-three times per year during spring and/or summer and fall.

https://www.agmrc.org/commodities-products/fruits/strawberries

Fun fact! The “everbearing” type of strawberry plant has a misleading name because it only produces fruit two-three times per year during spring and/or summer and fall.

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